Posts Tagged ‘Interview’

I’ve conducted hundreds of job interviews in my time and have seen my fair share of what works and what doesn’t. While things like eye contact, appearance and personal hygiene are all important, they’ve been talked about before. We’re going to get into some suggestions for those of us who are looking for a middle to higher level position.

Having reached the interview process your resume is most likely in order and your qualifications are already known. Now it’s time to spend some time preparing for ways to differentiate yourself from other candidates who may have the same or better qualifications.

Here are 6 ways to increases your chances of getting hired:

Do your homework. Now that you’ve landed the interview, do your research. Familiarize yourself with relevant company facts and recent company news. Be prepared to answer questions about the latest press release or the latest product. Your interviewer will assume you’re familiar with the company – don’t fall into the “un” trap of looking uninterested and uninformed by being unprepared.

Asking questions is the answer. In doing your homework to prepare for any questions you may be asked, identify questions you’d like to ask yourself. Who cares if you get your questions answered, simply asking the questions will set you apart as a more motivated candidate.

I’ve never hired someone I didn’t like – be personable. Chances are your interviewer is a regular person with a family, interests in sports or music. Don’t be afraid to connect by answering or asking personal questions. Showing a respectful sense of humor can also further your chances of being liked. Identify some topics of conversation before hand that you could throw out there to start up a relaxed dialog.